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* THE GLASS FACTORY. *
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.,~†*@#### SEVERAL CENTURIES AFTER IT HAD LAST ####@*†~,.
..,~†*@### BELONGED TO US, WE WENT ON AN OUTING TO ###@*†~,..
...,~†*@## THE GLASS FACTORY THAT BORE OUR FAMILY ##@*†~,...
....,~†*@# NAME. IT HAD CHANGED OWNERS MANY TIMES #@*†~,....
...,~†*@## SINCE OUR ANCESTORS DEATH, AND THEN ##@*†~,...
..,~†*@### STOOD ABANDONED FOR A LONG WHILE. ###@*†~,..
.,~†*@#### FINALLY, THE NATURAL END STATION FOR ####@*†~,.
..,~†*@### THE BUILDINGS THAT SURVIVE: A MUSEUM, ###@*†~,..
...,~†*@## AND A GIFT SHOP. ##@*†~,...
....,~†*@# #@*†~,....
...,~†*@## THERE'S A LONG TIME SINCE MY FAMILY ##@*†~,...
..,~†*@### MADE ANYTHING. BY MANY, WE WOULD BE ###@*†~,..
.,~†*@#### CONSIDERED POOR. ####@*†~,.
..,~†*@### ###@*†~,..
...,~†*@## THERE ARE TWO MAIN FACTORY BUILDINGS, ##@*†~,...
....,~†*@# DOMED THINGS OF SEVERAL FLOORS, MADE IN #@*†~,....
...,~†*@## YELLOW BRICK. LARGE BUT NARROW WINDOWS, ##@*†~,...
..,~†*@### REMINESCENT OF SOME CATHEDRAL. ###@*†~,..
.,~†*@#### CUSTOM-MADE GLASS, OF COURSE, LARGE AND ####@*†~,.
..,~†*@### LEADED, AND ASHEN. A BIT TOO DARK TO BE ###@*†~,..
...,~†*@## PRACTICAL. ON THE EASTERN BUILDING, ##@*†~,...
....,~†*@# SOME ARE SHATTERED. #@*†~,....
...,~†*@## ##@*†~,...
..,~†*@### THE OTHER ONE IS PUBLICLY OPEN. THERE'S ###@*†~,..
.,~†*@#### A MUSEUM, WITH WAX FIGURES OF MY GREAT ####@*†~,.
..,~†*@### GREAT GREAT GRANDFATHER, OR SOMETHING. ###@*†~,..
...,~†*@## VARIOUS TOOLS (OR REPLICAS) LAID OUT ON ##@*†~,...
....,~†*@# TABLES, WITH EXPLAINING TEXTS. A LOT OF #@*†~,....
...,~†*@## GLASS OF VARYING THICKNESS. ##@*†~,...
..,~†*@### ###@*†~,..
.,~†*@#### ** ####@*†~,.
..,~†*@### ** ** ###@*†~,..
...,~†*@## ~~~~~~~ * * ~~~~~~~ ##@*†~,...
....,~†*@# ** ** #@*†~,....
...,~†*@## ** ##@*†~,...
..,~†*@### ###@*†~,..
.,~†*@#### I QUICKLY SNEAK OUT, AND CLIMB INTO THE ####@*†~,.
..,~†*@### OTHER BUILDING. THE CONTRAST IS ###@*†~,..
...,~†*@## OVERWHELMING. IT MUST HAVE STOOD ##@*†~,...
....,~†*@# DERELICT FOR A LONG TIME, WINDOWS #@*†~,....
...,~†*@## BROKEN, METALLIC TRASH AND POOLS OF ##@*†~,...
..,~†*@### DARK GLASS ALL OVER THE FLOOR. NO ###@*†~,..
.,~†*@#### ELECTRIC LIGHTS, BUT I CAN SEE BY THE ####@*†~,.
..,~†*@### LIGHT THAT SHINES IN WHEREVER THE DARK ###@*†~,..
...,~†*@## WINDOWS ARE MISSING A PANE. ##@*†~,...
....,~†*@# #@*†~,....
...,~†*@## HOWEVER, THE GREATEST DIFFERENCE IS THE ##@*†~,...
..,~†*@### HIGHER FLOORS: THIS BUILDING HAS NONE. ###@*†~,..
.,~†*@#### IT IS ONE MASSIVE HALL, STRETCHING AWAY ####@*†~,.
..,~†*@### INFINITELY ABOVE ME. SOMEWHERE UP THERE ###@*†~,..
...,~†*@## IS SOME GREAT IRON LATTICEWORK, FROM ##@*†~,...
....,~†*@# WHERE CHAINS ARE SUSPENDED, AND PARTS #@*†~,....
...,~†*@## OF MACHINERY HAS BEEN FALLING DOWN. ##@*†~,...
..,~†*@### ###@*†~,..
.,~†*@#### THERE IS, IN THE MIDDLE OF THE GREAT ####@*†~,.
..,~†*@### HALL, A THIN SPIRAL STAIRCASE THAT ###@*†~,..
...,~†*@## LEADS UP THERE. I SNEAK OVER THERE, AND ##@*†~,...
....,~†*@# TAKE A FEW RELUCTANT STEPS. AFTER JUST #@*†~,....
...,~†*@## A REVOLUTION, I NOTICE THAT FOR EACH ##@*†~,...
..,~†*@### STEP THE BUILDING STARTS TO GLOW, THE ###@*†~,..
.,~†*@#### BRICKS TURNING A DARK RED, AND THEN ####@*†~,.
..,~†*@### ORANGE, ALL THE PILED UP DEBREE BEING ###@*†~,..
...,~†*@## LIT FROM BEHIND. ##@*†~,...
....,~†*@# #@*†~,....
...,~†*@## I STOP READY TO RUN DOWN AND OUT, BUT ##@*†~,...
..,~†*@### THERE'S SOMEONE ELSE ON THE STAIRCASE ###@*†~,..
.,~†*@#### WITH ME NOW, PRESSED CLOSE. HE'S ####@*†~,.
..,~†*@### LOOKING LIKE ME, SHORT HAIR AND THIN ###@*†~,..
...,~†*@## ARMS, BUT WITH EARS FROM SOME ANIMAL, ##@*†~,...
....,~†*@# AND MORE DISTURBINGLY, COMPLETELY MADE #@*†~,....
...,~†*@## OF DARK LIQUID GLASS. ##@*†~,...
..,~†*@### ###@*†~,..
.,~†*@#### ** ####@*†~,.
..,~†*@### ** ** ###@*†~,..
...,~†*@## ~~~~~~~ * * ~~~~~~~ ##@*†~,...
....,~†*@# ** ** #@*†~,....
...,~†*@## ** ##@*†~,...
..,~†*@### ###@*†~,..
.,~†*@#### MY FEAR HOLDS ME IN PLACE WHILE HE ####@*†~,.
..,~†*@### STARTS OPERATING LEVERS AND DIALS SET ###@*†~,..
...,~†*@## IN THE CENTER OF THE STAIRCASE. SLOWLY, ##@*†~,...
....,~†*@# IT STARTS SPINNING, CIRCLING UPWARDS. #@*†~,....
...,~†*@## IT'S AN ELEVATOR! I START TO RUN ##@*†~,...
..,~†*@### DOWNWARDS, BUT NOW THE LIQUID BOY ###@*†~,..
.,~†*@#### CREATURE GRABS HOLD OF ME. I TRY TO ####@*†~,.
..,~†*@### SHAKE HIM OFF, BUT HE'S TOO STRONG, AND ###@*†~,..
...,~†*@## PULLS ME BACK UP BESIDE HIM. ##@*†~,...
....,~†*@# #@*†~,....
...,~†*@## THIS TIME, I TURN ANGRY INSTEAD. WHAT ##@*†~,...
..,~†*@### THE HELL? WHO IS THIS GUY, ACTING LIKE ###@*†~,..
.,~†*@#### THIS? I REACH OUT MY FREE ARM AND SLAM ####@*†~,.
..,~†*@### A RANDOM LEVER. SOME METAL BAR IS ###@*†~,..
...,~†*@## SUDDENLY RELEASED BETWEEN US, HITTING ##@*†~,...
....,~†*@# HIM ON THE ARM, FORCING MY RELEASE. I #@*†~,....
...,~†*@## SHOVE HIM OFF OF ME, AND HE FALLS INTO ##@*†~,...
..,~†*@### THE LEVERS, MESSING THEM UP. ###@*†~,..
.,~†*@#### IMMEDIATELY, A THIN RUSTY CHAINMAIL ####@*†~,.
..,~†*@### CURTAIN IS DROPPED AROUND ME. BUT THE ###@*†~,..
...,~†*@## ELEVATOR ALSO SPEEDS UP SIGNIFICANTLY. ##@*†~,...
....,~†*@# #@*†~,....
...,~†*@## THE WALLS ARE FLARING NOW, YELLOW, ##@*†~,...
..,~†*@### WHITE, ALMOST BLUE. I CLOSE MY EYES AND ###@*†~,..
.,~†*@#### CURL INTO A BALL. BUT THEN, THE GLASS ####@*†~,.
..,~†*@### BOY SCREAMS, A PIERCING SOUND THAT ###@*†~,..
...,~†*@## FORCES MY EYES BACK OPEN. I WATCH AS HE ##@*†~,...
....,~†*@# BECOMES TOO LIQUID, HIS BODY POOLING #@*†~,....
...,~†*@## DOWN IN HIS NOW MASSIVE TAIL, AND THE ##@*†~,...
..,~†*@### TIP OF IT SUDDENLY BREAKS OF IN A GLASS ###@*†~,..
.,~†*@#### DROP THAT FALLS TOWARD THE FACTORY ####@*†~,.
..,~†*@### FLOOR. ###@*†~,..
...,~†*@## ##@*†~,...
....,~†*@# HE'S CRAWLING ON THE STAIRS, UNABLE TO #@*†~,....
...,~†*@## KEEP HIS BODY UPRIGHT. CAN'T REACH THE ##@*†~,...
..,~†*@### LEVERS, CLAWS AT MY CHAINMAIL CAGE, ###@*†~,..
.,~†*@#### WHILE HIS BODY IS TURNING INTO DARK ####@*†~,.
..,~†*@### PEARLS. FINALLY, HE'S LOST TOO MUCH OF ###@*†~,..
...,~†*@## HIMSELF AND THE SCREAM IS CUT SHORT. ##@*†~,...
....,~†*@# THE LAST OF HIM RAINS DOWN. #@*†~,....
...,~†*@## ##@*†~,...
..,~†*@### I STILL CAN'T REACH THE LEVERS FROM ###@*†~,..
.,~†*@#### WITHIN MY CAGE. LOOKING UP, I TRY TO ####@*†~,.
..,~†*@### MAKE OUT THE CEILING, BUT IT'S ALL A ###@*†~,..
...,~†*@## WHIRLING SEA OF COLOURS. BELOW ME GLOWS ##@*†~,...
....,~†*@# THE HELLFIRE OF THE FACTORY WALLS, BUT #@*†~,....
...,~†*@## VERY FAINT. I SIT DOWN, CURL BACK UP, ##@*†~,...
..,~†*@### BECOME STILL. ###@*†~,..
.,~†*@#### ####@*†~,.
..,~†*@### ** ###@*†~,..
...,~†*@## ** ** ##@*†~,...
....,~†*@# ~~~~~~~ * * ~~~~~~~ #@*†~,....
...,~†*@## ** ** ##@*†~,...
..,~†*@### ** ###@*†~,..
.,~†*@#### ####@*†~,.
..,~†*@### A LARGE CLUNK SHAKES MY ENTIRE BODY, ###@*†~,..
...,~†*@## AND SNAPS ME BACK INTO REALITY. I'M ##@*†~,...
....,~†*@# BACK AT THE FACTORY FLOOR, BUT THE #@*†~,....
...,~†*@## STAIRS ARE STILL MOVING SLIGHTLY, ##@*†~,...
..,~†*@### CLICKING IN PLACE, CARRYING ME THE LAST ###@*†~,..
.,~†*@#### FEW CENTIMETERS. I CAME FROM BELOW, ####@*†~,.
..,~†*@### SOMEHOW. THE CHAINMAIL IS RETRACTED, ###@*†~,..
...,~†*@## AND I SLOWLY DISMOUNT THE STAIRS. ##@*†~,...
....,~†*@# #@*†~,....
...,~†*@## SHAKING AND CRYING, I MAKE MY WAY OVER ##@*†~,...
..,~†*@### THE FACTORY FLOOR, WADING THROUGH DARK ###@*†~,..
.,~†*@#### GLASS MARBLES. A QUICK GLANCE DOWN, AND ####@*†~,.
..,~†*@### I SEE THERE'S SOMETHING FAINT INSIDE ###@*†~,..
...,~†*@## THEM. EMBRYOS? ARE THESE EGGS? ##@*†~,...
....,~†*@# #@*†~,....
...,~†*@## I SHUDDER, AND CLIMB BACK OUT. ##@*†~,...
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